Leave it to Shamir to flip a fear-mongering term into a positive slice of art-pop. On his new single, “Gay Agenda” the Philadelphia-based musician leans into distortion for an anthem about taking pride in who you are and the way you live your life. Stream it below.
Recorded with producer Hollow Comet of Strange Ranger, “Gay Agenda” sees Shamir embracing a new-to-him sound that’s more expansive and brooding than anything else he’s released prior. He leans into industrial synths, clanging drum machines, and sobering guitar for the track while letting his unmistakable voice scale to new heights. Truth be told, it feels more like an Arca deep cut than anything off his self-titled record, which was one of the best albums of 2020 — yet it still sounds totally like Shamir.
In a press release, Shamir further explained the lyrical themes at the heart of his new single. “’Gay Agenda’ is a song about radical acceptance internally and externally,” he said. “We are only leasing our lives, so we gotta make it our own.”
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Accompanying “Gay Agenda” is a music video directed by Jenny He. In the clip, Shamir can be seen sitting on a stoop while donning massive antlers. After looking out at the city’s evening shadows for a while, Shamir strips his vibrant coat and takes to the streets, dancing with hoof-clad feet by himself. Eventually he meets up with two other people outside a food joint and the three begin to dance along to the track together.
There’s a good chance fans will get to hear “Gay Agenda” live next year when Shamir hits the road as an opener on Courtney Barnett’s 2022 tour. Tickets for those shows are already on sale over at Ticketmaster.
Earlier this year, Shamir released a music video for his single “Diet” and a cover of Billie Eilish’s “Ocean Eyes.” He also contributed a swoon-worthy rendition of “Dsharpg” for Sharon Van Etten’s 10th anniversary reissue of Epic and hopped on Oberhofer’s new track “SUNSHiiNE” alongside Nick Valensi of The Strokes.
